Beautifying Small Spaces

Happy Saturday dear friends! I’m a little late on today’s post but I’ve had a busy, hectic day. It started out by waking up a little later than I wanted. After I finally got out the door, I was driving along jamming to my music, and then I see this dark car about 400 feet ahead of me. I slowed down to get a better look and realized it was a police car. Just as I figured this out, the police officer pops out of his door and points at me to pull over. Busted. I had been speeding. The officer came over, tipped his hat, and said “I pulled you over because you were speeding.” I just looked at him and said “Guilty” as I retrieved my license and registration. Luckily, he was nice (and handsome) so he knocked down my speeding charges for me. I think he did so because I didn’t fuss with him and he’s probably sick of that.

Anyway, my day went as planned thankfully. I got to the gym and pounded the pavement (aka treadmill) and worked off my stress. Now I’m just sitting at the kitchen bar writing for you. I was so inspired last night by these cute little accessories for an apartment or small home. They make a big statement for smaller spaces.

I absolutely love a little tray table like the one above for either a nightstand of sorts or a bar cart styled piece for the living room. I don’t know many people who have room for an entire bar cart in their home. They’re rather large and bulky.

Inspired by my Restoration Hardware addiction, I saw that chandelier and fell in love. Sadly, it happens to be $3k but I might take it upon myself to raid antique stores or even warehouse sales to find a similar one for much cheaper. Chandeliers are great because they make a big statement without taking up any floor space.

As always, I love fresh blooms in every room of the house. They add life and color and don’t have to be expensive. I bought some from the grocery store for $5 and they’re gorgeous! It’s even better if their “fluffy” flowers like hydrangeas because they appear fuller.

In the foyer of any home, I really love having a little table where you can place your keys and mail if necessary. I did a post on this a few months back. The ideal foyer is not all that complicated or expensive!

Hope you enjoyed this bit of inspiration today! Life is beautiful, design your space around that.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Happy Valentine’s Day! I absolutely adore this day for so many reasons. I love roses, chocolates, champagne, sweet little surprises, kisses, hugs, and pretty jewelry more than most girls I know! It’s just an all-around great holiday (even if it’s slightly made-up by Hallmark).

In celebration of this pink and red event, I raided my Polyvore closet and picked out my dream outfit for today. Needless to say Kate Spade was in abundance and pink was the main color. For the few lucky women who really do get to wear something cute like this tomorrow, I envy you! It just turns me into a pouty four year old when I see your fabulous photo shoot pictures on Instagram. My outfit of the day is unfortunately an apron, red J Crew button up, and black leggings. Working retail on Valentine’s is not fun! Neither is job hunting.

I don’t know how you’re spending this special day, but I hope you get to spend it in something pretty! My outfit inspiration here was a combination of things I saw on my Instagram feed and in my own photos. Things that sparkle like these gorgeous Kate Spade heels always catch my eye and remind me of why I love being a girl and why I blog. I just can’t help but fall in love with lovely things. Valentine’s Day is no exception!

Red Lips for Valentine’s Day

In preparation for Valentine’s Day, I’m rockin’ 50 shades of red (ok more like 3 or 4). I love this holiday because everything is either pink or red and has tons of sparkles on it. My only complaint is that there isn’t a Starbucks drink specifically for this month. Something like a ‘Cherry Jubilee’ has a nice ring to it, don’t you think? At least Nabisco came out with red velvet Oreos for the occasion, which, by the way are amazing!

For this super special day, I’ll be wearing Nars ‘Cruella” for the perfect Taylor Swift-style pout. It’s very hard for me to wear certain shades of red. My skin tone, lightly bronzed cheeks, and recently-whitened teeth allow me to wear this shade of red. However, this color won’t look good on every girl. I recommend heading to the nearest Sephora and trying on every shade of red in the Nars velvet matte lip collection. I hated shelling out the money for this lip pencil but it really is amazing and the color lasts at least 8 hours. Pro tip: put on a bit of Chapstick before applying lipstick, it really helps keep your lips from chapping while wearing the product all day.

How to Wear Red Lipstick

Here are all the red lip pencils Nars has in their velvet matte collection. The color best suited for you will really depend on the undertones in your skin and your hair color. For me, I have a yellowy undertones in my skin and brunette hair (which is my natural hair color; no highlights here!) so deep, rich shades of red are better for me. If you have red undertones in your skin, then lighter shades might be better on you.

From left to right: Dragon Girl, Cruella, Mysterious Red, Walkyrie, Red Squared, Pop Life.

Whatever color you pick, make sure you don’t get any on your teeth! I’ve had this happen so many times and it really is embarrassing. Walking into a restaurant thinking you look super cute and you have red lipstick on your teeth (or worse, just below or above your actual lips) is not a confidence-booster! I’m pretty sure this never happens to Miss Taylor Swift so don’t let it happen to you either!

Apartment Inspiration

Hello loves! Yesterday, I mentioned that I’m apartment hunting in my future place of residence- Charleston, SC- so today I thought I might show you a few things that are inspiring me in terms of how I’m going to decorate!

The colors I’m going with are gray, light pink, white, black, and gold. Of course, I’m adding in touches of glitter everywhere! Pretty fonts like the one you see below will also adorn my walls as I think they add so much personality to a room. I want a touch of whimsy in the main living area!

In my bedroom, I’m really hoping to keep the color palette to black and white with hints of pink and some silver. Based on all the little accessories and decorative items I’ve collected over the past few years, I think I can pull this look off. I’m going to be looking for a large floor-length mirror to put in a corner so I can take better pictures of my #ootd!

I absolutely adore the colors in this floral arrangement. Pink, cream, and lilac are so feminine. I’m a huge believer in keeping plants in the house during the winter months because we need something green and living to look at during the day. It’s an instant mood-lifter! 

Last but not least on my inspiration list, the kitchen! Will my first place have a kitchen like this? No, probably not. However, incorporating these elements (texture, color, and pattern) will make my bland kitchen totally glam. I’ll be raiding TJ Maxx for their discounted designer kitchen wear! I’ll keep you posted!

My Opinion on Lilly for Target

The best news I’ve heard all week is Lilly Pulitzer for Target. For some, it was the worst news they had heard all week because it made the preppy brand too affordable. Herein lies the concept that many people simply don’t understand: money doesn’t buy class.

If anyone knows anything about Lilly Pulitzer clothing they know two things. First, the brand features bright colors and loud prints. Second, it is pricey. The typical people the brand caters to is the college-aged crowd of sorority girls and the upper-class ladies of the southeast. Considering the average price of a dress is around $200, we can safely say that the masses haven’t been able to wear Lilly’s clothing… until now. For some people, the Target collection will be the death of the brand and the classiness that’s associated with it. “Oh no! Girls without trust funds and daddy’s BMW will be able to wear Lilly? Say it isn’t so!” Excuse my sarcasm, but you get my drift. For whatever reason, people automatically assume that if you have money to buy expensive brands, then you’re classy. If you don’t, then you aren’t classy. Since when did money buy class?

Let me outline a few things that actually do equate to real classiness.

• Kind, generous heart
• Presentable appearance (clean face, styled hair, appropriate hemline, nose ring removed)
• Good manners
• Nice personality
• Doesn’t drop the ‘F bomb’ every few sentences
• Abides by the Golden Rule
• Keeps secrets a secret
• Confidence (not to be confused with cockiness)
• Thankful spirit

By no means is this list all-inclusive, but I hope I’ve made my point. Being classy is just as much an inside thing as it is an outside thing. I place a lot of value on looking nice. No one wants to look at someone who just rolled out of bed. However, looking neat and clean doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Its the garments you choose and put together that will determine how you look. For example, I was in BCBG the other day and found a plunging v-neck, thigh-high hemline party dress for $130. At Express next door I found on sale a one-shoulder little black dress for $45. Guess which one looked classier?

Your inner appearance should look just as great as the outside. You can wear Versace everyday and still be the trashiest person alive if your heart isn’t beautiful. Audrey Hepburn is a lovely example of inner and outer class. She dressed beautifully but spent her time (especially in her later years) helping others. Together, both aspects of who she was created her legacy. 

If you clicked on the link I highlighted in the first sentence of this post, then you’ll know why I had to write about this misunderstood topic. Whether you decide to wear the Lilly for Target line or not is up to you, but I for one am glad to see that this preppy, pretty brand values the average consumer and wants to see every girl looking put together and dare I say, classy?